The Breaker
by littlebitminty
Summary: Set in the middle of Season Three, no one is dead, Johnny never existed and Marissa has gone to live in Hawaii. The fab four plan a little Spring Break trip together.


This fic is set during Spring Break of Senior Year. Set in an AU where Marissa went to live with her family in Hawaii.

Many thanks to our beta. She knows who she is.

**The Breaker – Chapter One**

"Dude, you decent?"

"Clearly it wouldn't make any difference to you if I wasn't…" mumbled Ryan, more to himself than Seth, who was by now halfway across the pool house floor and heading purposefully towards the bed.

Ryan laid aside his book with a sigh of resignation and sat up. He nodded in Seth's direction as he straightened his shirt.

"What's that?"

Seth dropped a large cardboard box, decorated with an obscenely large red bow, in Ryan's lap.

"This, Ryan, is a gift from me to you…"

Ryan eyed the box, and then Seth, suspiciously.

"A gift? But it's not my birthday. It's not Chrismukkah. Is there some other Cohen Super Holiday that I've missed?"

"No, Ryan, you haven't. But Spring Break is coming up and this, my friend, is a Seth Cohen starter pack, aimed at getting you, Ryan Atwood, to stop brooding and make the most out of this most awesome of all school holidays."

"If I remember correctly, last year's Spring Break was not exactly awesome…"

Seth sat down and made himself comfortable.

"No, no it wasn't. I was humiliated on National TV and…well, this year can only be better right?"

Ryan scowled and looked back down at the package.

"So, what _is _this? A Seth Cohen starter pack for what?"

"Open it, dude, then you'll see."

Ryan rolled his eyes and tugged at the bow half-heartedly. Opening up the flaps of cardboard, he peered into the box.

"Sun cream? A life preserver? A compass?" He looked expectantly at the grinning boy next to him.

Seth bounced off the bed. "Seth Cohen Sailing Starter Pack, Ryan. Be excited!"

Ryan shook his head.

"I'm not spending Spring Break sailing, Seth." His voice was flat and dismissive.

Seth's eager face fell. But only for a moment. Surely Ryan didn't think he would get out of it that easily.

"Ryan, just think about it for a minute. You and me, the girls. We could sail to Catalina, camp under the stars, you and Marissa could relive the whole Tiki Hut experience…"

Ryan gave him a tight smile. "Very funny! No. I'm not going. You know I don't really do boats, and besides, remember what happened last time we tried to go sailing?"

"You got arrested for attempted murder and modeled the jumpsuit for a while, I know, I know. But things are different now." Seth couldn't help a pleading whine creep into his voice. "Besides, I thought last summer you were really getting a feel for the whole sailing thing?"

"Yeah, and then you made me watch Titanic."

"Dude, there are no icebergs off the coast of Southern California!"

"No, but I bet there are sharks…"

"Sharks wouldn't be interested in you, Ryan, you'd be too tough."

"Are you looking for a dead arm?"

Seth raised his eyes to the ceiling. He hadn't figured on Ryan being such a girl about getting into a boat again. It had seemed like such a cool plan. He and Summer could escape from the Evil Dean and all his schemes involving them endless school spirit, and finally have some time to themselves. Ryan and Marissa could get some alone time away from the watchful eyes of Sandy and Kirsten and the over protectiveness of Julie Cooper.

Seth shrugged, defeated. "I just wanted us to have a good time, the Fantastic Four, like we used to."

Ryan felt guilty. He swung his legs round over the bed and looked up at Seth apologetically.

"Look, all I want to do at Spring Break is relax and hang out, enjoy some time with Marissa. I've hardly seen her since she got dragged to Hawaii."

"Can't you relax on a boat?" Seth asked hopefully, sensing a slight weakening in Ryan's determined refusal.

Ryan's shoulders slumped. He knew when he was defeated. He had wanted to just take his chances on finding some alone time with Marissa. She was, after all, staying with the Cohens for the holidays while Jimmy and Julie visited Caitlin. But he also knew that poor Seth had had almost as horrible a time as he had over the last few months. He was stuck with two months detention, Dean Hess insisting that he and Summer help with every school function. Add to that his job at the dockyard, which Sandy had insisted on to help finance the cost of running the Rover, and Seth was having a pretty lousy time himself.

"I guess…" he said slowly. "But I can't see your parents agreeing to it. Or paying for it for that matter. I mean, The Summer Breeze is long gone so you'll have to hire a boat, right?"

"Yes, it WAS unfortunate that I had to give The Gimmie Sex to Alex in lieu of wages paid without any work actually having been done, I agree."

"Well, you were a little distracted.." Ryan murmured.

"Yes, I was, Ryan. But the good news is, Jake at the boatyard has offered me an eighteen footer, for the weekend. Someone's actually PLEASED with me, Ryan! I've actually done a good job! He says we can take it out Friday as long as we have it back Monday morning. So you see, faced with this very generous offer, how can the 'rents refuse us?"

"Yeah, how could they?" Ryan answered, the sarcasm thick in his voice. " 'Cos they have such good memories of you and boats, Seth…"

"Good point R.A. So, you'll help me persuade them, right?"

Ryan grabbed his boots from the floor and pulled them on. Seth stood waiting impatiently.

Ryan ignored him, focusing on his laces. Could he come up with one last-ditch excuse to get himself out of this?

"Ryan?"

"I just don't know whether Marissa will be up for it…" he murmured half-heartedly.

"Summer can't wait!"

Ryan looked up and shrugged in defeat. "Then I guess….I guess she'll love it."

Seth's face broke out into an enormous grin. Ryan could swear he was actually bouncing on his heels as they headed into the kitchen for dinner.

* * *

"Hey sweetheart, how was your day?"

Sandy sidled up to his wife, a bunch of roses clutched in his hand, and nuzzled the nape of her neck. She turned from washing fruit under the tap and wrapped her arms around him, planting a soft kiss on his lips.

"I've had a pretty good day, thank you for asking. Are those for me?" She asked, taking the flowers from his hand and admiring them.

"What other beautiful woman is there in this house?"

Kirsten slapped him affectionately on the cheek.

"So, are we celebrating?"

Sandy grinned and loosened his tie.

"I got him off completely. It was touch and go for a while, and I did NOT like the way the jury foreman was looking at him when they came in with the verdict. But thank God they believed his story. He's a free kid."

Kirsten poured her husband a large cup of coffee and set it in front of him. She wished she could offer him something stronger but they had all agreed to the policy of no alcohol in the house. The boys were allowed a beer occasionally if Sandy and Kirsten were going out for the evening, but Sandy stayed generally as liquor free as his wife. She was so proud of him. This was his first big case since starting up his company properly after winding down The Newport Group's affairs. A kid accused of manslaughter facing at least three years in jail if found guilty. A kid Sandy had been sure was innocent. And somewhere, right now, one family was able to sit down to dinner complete, thanks to her husband.

"So, where are the boys?" Sandy stuck his head around the door to the family room and found it empty.

"Oh, Seth's pestering Ryan in the Pool house, trying to get him to help persuade us to let them go sailing at Spring Break…"

Sandy laughed. "And you know this how?"

Kirsten smiled. "I went down to the dock today, I promised Jimmy I'd pass on all that sailing stuff he stored in our garage to the guy he rented his mooring from. I saw Jake while I was there. He told me he was really pleased with the work Seth was doing, and that he hoped we didn't mind him offering Seth the use of a boat over Spring Break."

"So has Seth talked to you about it? Because he hasn't mentioned anything to me…"

"He wouldn't, Sandy. He knows how busy you've been. Both he and Ryan are going to be thrilled when they hear about your case today. I think it means a lot to them, that you've gone back to this sort of work. Especially Ryan. You know how he felt when you left the PD's office."

"Yeah, I know." Sandy drained his coffee and placed the cup in the sink. He turned back to his wife.

"So, are we going to let them go?"

Kirsten smiled mischievously.

"I don't see why not. They're good kids, Sandy, and they've both had a rough time lately. I think it would be good for them. They really missed out on a summer vacation with me in Suriak, and all the trouble with Trey. But…. I don't think we should appear to give in too easily..."

Sandy raised his eyebrows quizzically, laughter filling his eyes.

"I like that! Make them squirm a little…"

He pulled his wife to him and she melted into his body. The sound of the patio door slamming interrupted them.

"Oh my God, Ryan. Guys, get a room, please!"

"Good evening, Seth." Sandy gave his son a bemused smile. Ryan slapped his guardian warmly on the back before swinging himself up onto the island, cereal box in hand.

"Hey, so how'd it go with that kid today?"

Sandy looked up at the blond boy in front of him, mouth full of dry cereal, healthy, relaxed, comfortable. He smiled affectionately at him. He thanked Jesus and Moses every day that he'd been called out that morning to act as Ryan's public defender. He couldn't imagine his family without him.

"He got off."

Ryan smiled back at his guardian, words unnecessary.

"OK kids. Sit down, dinner's almost ready. Your dad's choice tonight, since he's celebrating…."

"Does that mean it's take out?" Seth asked hopefully. He still treated his mother's new found cooking skills with skepticism, waiting and pondering aloud daily which of the four of them would succumb to food poisoning first.

"In and Out Seth, burgers and fries. I don't know about you, but I've had my fill of mushu pork for a while…"

He picked up several large paper bags from the side as the boys took their places. Sandy beamed at the three other faces around the table.

"Isn't this great? All of us here together, enjoying a family meal? I tell you Seth," shaking his head ruefully at his son's mocking face, " you'll miss all this when you're in college…"

Seth gave his father a look of pity and rolled his eyes at Ryan. Ryan grinned and put a fry in his mouth. Seth might not think he'd miss it, but Ryan knew that _he _would.

Kirsten poured out juice for them all and changed the subject.

"So Ryan, what time does Marissa arrive on Thursday? We'll make sure the Rover's free for you to pick her up."

"Uh, I'm not sure yet. Her dad's booking her ticket tomorrow I think. I guess it'll be sometime in the evening…"

"Great," Sandy interrupted. "That means we can get an early start Friday morning!"

Seth and Ryan glanced at each other questioningly.

"An early start Dad?" Seth queried. " You and Mom taking a trip?" he added, hopefully.

"All of us are going on a trip, Seth. The whole family, Marissa too, of course." He nodded towards Ryan reassuredly. "To Mount Rushmore. Remember we discussed it last year but we ended up going to Miami instead?"

Seth looked appalled.

"Uh, yeah dad, that sounds awesome. Except Ryan and I had kind of made other plans… hadn't we Ryan?" Seth glared purposefully at Ryan. Sandy and Kirsten turned to Ryan expectantly and were rewarded with his best Deer Caught in the Headlights impression before he began stumbling over his words.

"Uh, we were kind of wondering if, uh, if you guys don't mind, if we could take the girls sailing over Spring Break?" He winced and shot an apologetic look at Sandy before throwing a menacing scowl Seth's way.

Both boys flushed as Sandy's mouth fell open in disappointment.

"Oh guys, this is your last Spring Break before college. We really wanted to spend it as a family…."

Ryan scowled again at Seth who shifted miserably in his seat. Kirsten turned to her husband with a smirk on her face.

"Oh Sandy stop your teasing. Seth, your father has no intention of taking us on a trip to Mount Rushmore. We know all about the boat. I saw Jake today."

Seth blinked in confusion. "You did?"

Kirsten smiled as she gathered up the debris from dinner.

"Yes, I did, and he said how pleased he was with your work. Your father and I are very proud of you. And we both agree that you boys deserve a break."

Seth's face broke out into a huge smile.

"So we can go?"

Sandy looked at them both seriously.

"Life preservers at all times and you call us at least once a day!"

tbc


End file.
